Shade-roller attachment.



H. COLE.

SHADE ROLLER ATTACHMENT.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 3, 1914.

Patented Mar. 23, 1915.

HARRY COLE, F TYRBELL, OHIO.

SHADE-ROLLER ATTACHMENT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 23, 1915.

Application filed June 3, 1914. Serial No. 842,740.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, HARRY COLE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Tyrrell, m the county of Trumbull and State of OhlO, have invented a new and useful Shade- Roller Attachment, of which the following is a specification.

The device forming the sub]ect matter of this application is a shade or curtain support of that general type in which. the pawl and ratchet mechanism which controls the movement of the roller takes the form of a ball adapted to move outwardly under its inertia to effect a release of the roller, and to move inwardly into engagement w1th a fixed element, toprevent the roller from rotating under spring pressure. 7

One object of the invention 1s to improve the ratchet-ball mechanism.

It is within the scope of the inventionto improve generally and to enhance the utility of devices of that type to which the present invention appertains.

With the above and other objects m view which Will appear as the description pro-.

ceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and 1n the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in'the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed can be made within the scope of What is claimed Without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the accompanying draw1ngs:-F1gure 1 shows the invention in perspective, assembled with a window frame; Fig. 2 is a fragmental longitudinal section of the curtain roller and attendant parts, sundry elements appearing in elevation; Fig. 3 is a fragmental side elevation of the curtain, roller, the cap at one end of the roller being broken away; Fig. 4 is an end elevation of the roller, the cap at one end thereof being sectioned andbroken away; Fig. 5 is a perspective view showing the ball carrier; Fig. 6 is a fragmental perspective showing one end of the spindle and attendant parts; Fig. 7 is a transverse section of the roller, the view depicting in detail, the construction of the actuating spring? In carrying out the present invention there is provided a tubular roller 1, against one end of which is placed a j ournaling disk 2 havin an opening 3. A tubular ca 4 surroun s the roller 1 and is held in piace by securing elements 5 of any desired sort,

the cap 4 being provided at its outer end with an annular, laterally projecting flange 6 which overlaps the outer face ofthe journaling disk 2. Located within the tubular roller 1 is a spindle 7 which may be threaded as indicated at 8, if desired. The spindle 7 includes an approximately circular head 9 having an extension 10. In the periphery of the head 9 there is formed a concaved notch 11 one wall of which in operation defines a ball-engaging shoulder 12. In the extension is formed a transverse opening 10*.

The invention includes a disk-like ball carrier, indicated generally by the numeral 14 and shown in detail in Fig. 5., The ball carrier 14 includes a body 15 and a flange 16; The body 15 of the ball carrier lies within the tubular roller 1 and the flange 16 of the ball carrier abuts against the end of the roller. A cap 17 surrounds the roller 1 and is held in place by securing elements 18, the cap 17 including an inwardly projecting annular flange 19 which bears against the flange 16 of the ball carrier 14 and holds the ball carrier firmly ,in place on the roller 1 for movement therewith. In the center of the ball carrier 14 is formed an opening 20 in which the spindle 7 isjournaled. The ball carrier is equipped with a recess 22 which receives the head 9 on the spindle 7. A nut 21 is threaded onto the spindle 7 and is located close to the rear face of the ball carrier 14, in order to prevent the spindle 7 from moving lengthwise in the ball carrier,

without however, interfering with the relative rotation between the ball carrier 14 and the head 9 on the spindle 7. The ball carrier 1 4 is provided with radial slots 23. At the inner end of each slot 23, a curved, laterally extended, ball receiving seat 24 is formed. Balls 25 are mounted to move due to their inertia in the slots 23, the balls being received in the seats 24 and being engaged by the shoulders 12, under circumstances which will be pointed out hereinafter. The balls 25 are held in the recess 23 by the flange 19 on the cap 17. The spring for actuating the tubular roller 1 is of helical form and comprises an outer part :36, and an intermediate part 27 and an inner part 28. These several parts of the spring are o approximately equal length.

As shown at 29, one end of the outer part 26 of the spring is received and held in a notch 30 formed in the inner end of the spindle 7. .As shown at 31, the other end of the outer part 26 of the spring merges 1121- inner end of the notch 34. As will be un dcrstood clearly from Fig, 2, the cap 17 overlaps and houses the finger 35 of the spring and holds the same in place in the recess 36. A right angle hook 37 is inserted into the window frame 38 or into any other suitable support, the extremity of the hook 37 being vertically disposed, and being passed through the opening 10 in the extension 10 of the spindle 7. Inserted into the window frame or support 38' is a hook 39, the extremity of which is horizontally disposed and passes through the opening 3 of the journaling disk 2, as shown at 40, thereby to support the tubular roller 1 for rotation.

The function of the balls 25 in a device of this type is clearly understood by those skilled in the art but it may be stated that when the curtain 41 which is assembled with the roller 1 is pulled downwardly, the balls 25 move outwardly, due to their inertia, in the recesses 23. When, however, the rotary movement of the roller 1 is stopped, the balls 25, or one of them, roll inwardly and are engaged by the shoulder 12 and are bound against the ball carrier It. In this connection, attention is directed to the specific improvement involving the laterally extended, ball receiving seat 24. Obviously, when the ball 25 is lodged in the seat 24, as shown in Fig. 4 and is bound therein by the action of the shoulder 12, the ball Will not be likely to slip out of place and fly outwardly in a radial direction, along the slot 23.

Another specific improvement resides in the peculiar construction of the actuating spring, the same being of helical construction' and comprising a pluralityof arts, located one within the other and or substantially equallength. Owing to this construction, the spring may be made relatively short and the spindle 7 may be shortened accordingly. One part after another of, the spring is successively put into action when the curtain is unrolled and the spring, generally considered will not only be compact, but will be of greater strength than a spring embodying the same length of material wound into convolutions all of which are alined, longitudinally of the spring.

- The specific means for upholding the roller 1 and the spindle 7, embodying the angle hooks 37 39 and attendant parts, will be found useful and efficient in operation.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is In a device of the class described, a tubular roller; a ball carrier including a body and a flange outstanding from the body, the body having a recess and .there being a ball slot opening into the recess through the flange and the body, the body being inserted into the end of the roller whereby the roller will form a ball stop at the outer end of the slot; a cap on the roller and including a flange overlapped on the outer end of the body; a spindle journaled in the carrier and including a head located in the recess, the head having a shoulder; a ball in the slot and adapted to cooperate with the shoulder: an abutment within the roller and adjustable on the spindle longitudinally of' the spindle toward and away from the inner face of the carrier,the abutment being adjustable to exert a brake pressure on the carrier; and a spring forming an operative connection between the spindle and the roller.

In testimony that l claim the foregoing as my own, l have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

Cniusin VAN Smmn, 21H. VAN Swan. 

